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Abstract:

A frame for a vehicle seat assembly includes a tubular member having a
plurality of tubular segments coupled together. The tubular segments have
a plurality of properties which vary from one tubular segment to another,
the properties that vary include, thickness, length, shape, material
type, material grade, outer diameter, and inside diameter. At least one
of the properties of at least one of the segments is different from at
least one of the properties of the other segments.

Claims:

1. A frame for use in a vehicle seat assembly, the frame comprising: a
tailored tubular member having a plurality of segments coupled together
to form the frame for the vehicle seat assembly wherein each segment has
a plurality of properties; wherein the properties of each segment of the
plurality of segments are selected from the group consisting of:
thickness, length, shape, material type, material grade, outer diameter,
and inside diameter; and wherein the value for the property for a first
segment is different than the value of the corresponding property for a
second segment.

2. The frame of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises a first
segment having a first thickness and a second segment having a second
thickness wherein the first thickness is greater than the second
thickness.

3. The frame of claim 1 wherein the first segment has a different length
than the length of the second segment.

4. The frame of claim 1 wherein the first segment is made from a
different material than the second segment.

5. The frame of claim 1 wherein the first segment has a different
material grade than the second segment.

6. The frame of claim 1 wherein the first segment has a different outer
diameter than the second segment.

7. The frame of claim 1 wherein the first segment has a different inner
diameter than the second segment.

8. The frame of claim 1 wherein the first segment and the second segment
are coaxially aligned.

9. The frame of claim 8 wherein the first segment and the second segment
are laser welded together.

10. A tubular vehicle seat frame for use in a vehicle seat back assembly,
the tubular vehicle seat frame comprising: a first tubular member having
a plurality of segments coupled together wherein each segment has a
plurality of properties and wherein the value for one property for a
first segment is different than the value of the one property for a
second segment; wherein the first segment and the second segment are
laser welded together; and wherein the first tubular member has a first
end portion having a varying diameter which changes along its length and
a distal end that has not been rolled into a closed tubular section for
coupling to tubular vehicle seat frame to one of the vehicle seat and the
vehicle.

11. The frame of claim 10 wherein the first segment has a different
length than the length of the second segment.

12. The frame of claim 10 wherein the first segment is made from a
different material than the second segment.

13. The frame of claim 10 wherein the first segment has a different
material grade than the second segment.

14. A method of forming a frame for use in a vehicle seat assembly, said
method comprising the steps of: selecting a property for each of a
plurality of segments selected from the group consisting of: thickness,
length, shape, material type, material grade, outer diameter, and inside
diameter, wherein the value of the property for a first segment is
different than the value of the corresponding property for a second
segment; coupling the segments together to form a tailored tubular
member; coupling a plurality of tailored tubular members together to form
the frame for the vehicle seat assembly.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefits of and priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/036,036, filed Mar. 12, 2008,
titled: VEHICLE SEAT--TAILORED TUBES, in the name of Kmeid et al. which
is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of vehicle
seating. More specifically, this disclosure relates to the use of
tailored tubes for forming light weight vehicle seat components.

[0003] Current closed section seat components, such as seat back frames,
low seat structures, seat cushion frames, integrated structural seat
(ISS) towers, seat base or cushion torsion tubes, and the like, are
predominantly made of steel having a single thickness and strength, a
generally uniform outside diameter, a uniform section along its length,
and a generally uniform steel material grade. These closed section seat
components are primarily designed to support pressure generated from
occupant weight during normal usage and manage loads generated during
vehicle collisions. Vehicle seat structures are generally optimized by
selecting the material thickness and the material grade and the designing
components with structurally advantaged shapes. Nevertheless, these
current vehicle seat components add substantial mass to seat structures
and impede fuel economy improvements and increase costs, among other
effects.

[0004] There remains a desire to improve vehicle fuel economy and decrease
manufacturing costs by providing lower mass components in the seat and
thus the vehicle.

SUMMARY

[0005] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a
frame for use in a vehicle seat assembly comprising a first tubular
member having a plurality of segments coupled together wherein each
segment has a plurality of properties. The properties of each segment of
the plurality of segments are selected from the group consisting of:
thickness, length, shape, material type, material grade, outer diameter,
and inside diameter. The value for one property for a first segment is
different than the value of the one property for a second segment.

[0006] The present disclosure also relates to a tubular vehicle seat frame
for use in a vehicle seat back assembly. The tubular vehicle seat frame
comprises a first tubular member having a plurality of segments coupled
together wherein each segment has a plurality of properties and wherein
the value for one property for a first segment is different than the
value of the one property for a second segment. The first segment and the
second segment are laser welded together. The first tubular member has a
first end portion having a varying diameter which changes along its
length and a distal end that has not been rolled into a closed tubular
section for coupling to tabular vehicle seat frame to one of the vehicle
seat and the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with seats including
tailored tube components according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat including tailored
tube components according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 3A is a diagram of a tube tailoring process using orbital
welding according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 3B is a diagram of a tube tailoring process using tailor coil
or blank welding according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional tubular closed
section seat back frame having a back panel.

[0012] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a tubular seat back frame having
various sectional properties with a constant outside diameter according
to one exemplary embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 5B is a front cross sectional view of the tubular seat back
frame in FIG. 5A having a constant outside diameter and six segments with
variable thicknesses according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 5C is a front cross sectional view of the tubular seat back
frame in FIG. 5A having a constant outside diameter and three segments
with variable thicknesses according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 5D is a perspective view of a tubular seat back frame having
various sectional properties with a variable outside diameter and/or
variable thicknesses according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 5E is a front cross sectional view of the tubular seat back
frame in FIG. 5D having various sectional properties with a variable
outside diameter and/or variable thicknesses according to an exemplary
embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 6A is a side and top view of a tailored blank for a tubular
seat back frame with integrated mounting bracket having various sectional
properties according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 6B is a perspective view with cross sectional views taken
along the A-A, B-B, and C-C lines in the perspective view of a tailored
tube seat back frame having various sectional properties according to an
exemplary embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat base or cushion
frame for a vehicle seat assembly formed from tailored tubes having
various sectional properties according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a seat base or cushion frame for a
vehicle seat assembly having torsion tubes formed from tailored tubes
having various sectional properties according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly having a
cross-seat lower structural member formed from tailored tubes having
various sectional properties according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 9B is a front sectional view of the vehicle seat assembly in
FIG. 9A having the lower seat structural member formed from tailored
tubes having various sectional properties according to an exemplary
embodiment.

[0023] FIGS. 10A-10F is a side view of several fasteners made from
tailored tubes having various sectional properties according to an
exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Referring generally to the figures and in particular to FIG. 1, a
vehicle 5 is shown according an exemplary embodiment. The vehicle 5
includes one or more vehicle seats 10 provided for an occupant of the
vehicle 5. One exemplary embodiment of a vehicle seat structure 10 is
shown in FIG. 2. While the vehicle 5 shown is a 4-door sedan, it should
be understood that the seat 10 may be used in a mini-van, sport utility
vehicle or any other means in or by which someone travels or something is
carried or conveyed for any market or application including everything
from office seating and transportation to planes and space travel and
everything in between. The vehicle seat 10 shown includes a seat back 12,
a seat cushion 14, a seat base 16, and a connection member or recliner 18
coupled to the seat back 12 and the seat base 16. The vehicle seat 10
further may include a head restraint 20 and base portion 22. The head
restraint 20 extends upward from the seat back 12 and is configured to
restrain the head of an occupant. The base portion (e.g. track assembly)
22 couples the seat 10 to the vehicle body and may be configured to allow
the seat 10 to be selectively positioned (manually or motor driven)
relative to the vehicle body.

[0025] FIGS. 3A-3B show a diagram of a tube 24 tailoring process using
orbital welding and a diagram of a tube tailoring process using tailor
welded coils (TWC) 26 or tailored welded blanks (TWB) 28, respectively.
Tube 24 tailoring via orbital welding and tailor coil welding (with
different options in making closed sections) enables the incorporation of
different material and/or thickness and/or shape along the length of the
tube 24 as dictated by particular requirements. The tailored tubes 24 are
subsequently processed with different secondary procedures to form the
final product. As shown in FIG. 3A, after selecting a particular sheet
metal material 30 having a particular thickness, the sheet metal material
30 is formed into a tube 24 by either a rolling or seaming technique. The
tubes 24 may then be coaxially aligned such that the tubes 24 have a
matching outer diameter (OD) 32, or a matching inner diameter (ID) 34, or
a matching OD 32 and ID 34. Once the tubes 24 are coaxially aligned
between each other, the tubes 24 are coupled together (e.g., via orbital
laser welding). During final product manufacturing, the tailored tubes 24
may further be formed into desired components through various techniques
including, but not limited to, bending, hydroforming, smashing, crushing,
piercing, welding, and the like. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3B, after
selecting a particular sheet metal material 30 having a particular
thickness, the sheet metal material 30 is formed into a TWB 28.
Connections between metal sheets 30 may be made along the edges 36 of the
metal sheets 30 and/or by stacking metal sheets 30 over one another.
Closed sections 38 may then be formed from the metal sheet material 30
along its x-axis or y-axis. The outer parameter 40 along the closed
section 38 may be shaped to be uniform, gradually changed (e.g., tapered,
conical, etc.), or discontinuously changed. During final product
manufacturing, the tailored tubes 24 may further be formed into desired
components through various techniques including, but not limited to,
bending, hydroforming, smashing, crushing, piercing, welding, and the
like.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a conventional tubular closed section seat back frame
41 having a back panel 44 and constructed using conventional
manufacturing processes that produce a single material and thicknesses
throughout the tubular closed section seat back frame 42. According to an
exemplary embodiment, a tubular seat back frame 42 may be constructed of
various tubes 24 that change material and thickness along the
longitudinal axis of the tube 24 in order to optimally support the
structural requirements for seat back frames 42, as shown in FIGS. 5A-5E.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5A-5E, tailored tubes 24 may be incorporated into
seat back frames 42 and have various sectional properties to support the
required sectional property within the frame 42 and manage packaging
issues. For example, tailored tubes 24 in seat back frames 42 may have
uniform outside diameters 32, but have variable thickness and/or material
grade along length of the tailored tube 24, as best shown in FIG. 5A. As
shown in FIG. 5B, a seat back frame 42 may also be formed from tailored
tubes 24 having uniform or constant outer diameters (ODs) 32 and six
segments 46 having variable thicknesses and/or material grades. As shown
in FIG. 5C, a seat back frame 42 may also be formed from tailored tubes
24 having uniform or constant ODs 32 and three segments 46 having
variable thicknesses and/or material grades. As shown in FIGS. 5D and 5E,
a seat back frame 42 may also be formed from tailored tubes 24 having
variable ODs 32 and variable or constant thicknesses and/or materials.
Incorporating such tailored tubes 24 into seat back frames 42 enables the
optimization of sectional properties for the seat back frame 42 and
represents one option of potential feature integration. Other
considerations that may be taken into account by using tailored tubes 24
include: the formation of a closed section 38 via shape and dimension
support strength and stiffness requirements; and formation of a flat area
for recliner/latch attachment plates, etc. By incorporating tailored
tubes 24 into seat back frames 42, numerous benefits may be realized
including mass reduction, optimized sectional properties, incorporation
of seating features, incorporation of assembly surfaces, and optimized
packaging space, among other benefits.

[0028] Refering to FIGS. 6A-6E, a tailored blank 28 for a tubular seat
back frame 42 with integrated mounting brackets 46 having various
sectional properties is shown. For example, the tailored blank 28 and
tailored back frame tube 42 with integrated mounting brackets 48 may be
formed from variable materials and/or thicknesses and/or segment 46
lengths, and/or material grades to optimize structural requirements
(e.g., strength requirements, etc.) of the seat back frame 42, as best
shown in FIG. 6A. Moreover, the OD 32 of the tailored blank 28 and
tailored back frame tube 42 may change gradually along its length or have
a step change. Furthermore, the seat back frame 42 may have a one-piece
tubular construction and have ends 50, 52 that have not been rolled into
closed sections 38 leaving the ends of the tubes 50, 52 flat so
attachment surfaces 54 for other, seat back mechanisms, and the like, may
be formed or coupled thereon. As such, these types of tailored tubes 24
are very useful not only for the placement of required sections along a
particular length of the tube 24, but also to resolve packaging issues.

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a vehicle seat cushion frame 56 for a vehicle seat
assembly 55 formed from tailored tubes 24 having various sectional
properties. For example, the tailored tubes 24 in seat cushion frames 56
may be formed from variable materials and/or thicknesses and/or segment
46 lengths, and/or material grades to optimize structural requirements
(e.g., strength requirements, etc.) of the seat cushion frame 56. In
contrast, conventional tubular seat cushion frames are fabricated using
conventional technologies that do not allow flexibility in placing
different sectional properties and combining features along the seat
frame parameter. Analysis of sectional properties to support requirements
for the cushion frames, however, suggest that incorporating tailored
tubes 24 with variable sectional properties and potentially shapes along
the longitudinal axis of the tube 24, as shown in FIG. 7, enable mass
reduction. Moreover, additional mass savings may be realized if various
features may be combined (e.g., flat attachment surfaces 54 incorporated
onto tailored tubes 24 with variable thickness, materials, etc.).

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a seat cushion frame 56 for a vehicle seat assembly 10
having torsion tubes 58 formed from tailored tubes 24 having various
sectional properties. For example, the torsion tubes 58 formed from
tailored tubes 24 may be formed from variable materials and/or
thicknesses and/or segment 46 lengths, and/or material grades to optimize
structural requirements (e.g., strength requirements, etc.) of the
torsion tubes 58 and seat cushion frame 56. Incorporating such tailored
tubes 24 into seat cushion frames 56 enables the optimization of
sectional properties for the seat cushion frame 56 and represents one
option of potential feature integration. Other considerations that may be
taken into account by using tailored tubes 24 in seat cushion frames 56
include: the formation of a closed section 38 via shape and dimension
support strength and stiffness requirements; and formation of a flat area
54 for cushion attachment.

[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 9A-9B, a vehicle seat assembly 59 having a
lower seat structural member 60 formed from tailored tubes 24 having
various sectional properties is shown. The structural member 60 is a load
managing seat component that enables the connection between the seat back
12 and seat cushion structure 16 and also provides attachment to the
floor of a vehicle 5. The structural member 60 includes a tube or closed
section 62 that couples the following: child seat lower anchors, upper
tethers, recliners and back locks, buckle attachments, and fore/aft
mechanism attachments. Due to function, the low structure tube 62
experiences relatively very high torsion and bending forces. At times,
the type and severity of loads change rapidly along the length of the
tube 62. Existing low structural member tubes are formed using current
technologies that result in lower structure tube designs that are
relatively extremely massive to address the limitations and functional
and structural demands. Forming a low structure tube 62 with tailored
tubes 24, as best shown in FIG. 9B, allows for the consideration of
optimal sectional properties and represents one option of potential
coupling and/or integration of seat features, such as an upper tether
area 64 and recliner or latch and child seat anchor areas 66. By
incorporating tailored tubes 24 into seat low structures 60, numerous
benefits may be realized including mass reduction, optimized sectional
properties, incorporation of seating features, incorporation of assembly
surfaces, and optimized packaging space, among other benefits.

[0032] FIGS. 10A-10F show fasteners 68 made from tailored tubes 24 having
various sectional properties according to an exemplary embodiment. The
tailored tubes 24 may have a matched outer diameter (OD) 32, a matched
inner diameter (ID) 34, or a matched OD 32 and ID 34. Having a matched OD
32 or a matched OD 32 and ID 34 provides enough material so that a self
tapping screw 70 may be inserted at the end of the thin wall tube 24.
Having a matched ID 34 provides enough material for attaching (e.g.,
attaching to other structures/components, attaching brackets 72, etc.) at
the end of the tube 24.

[0033] While the above descriptions have generally dealt with tailor
welded steel components, it should be understood that the metal used to
form the seat frame and other components is not limited to steel.
According to other exemplary embodiments, the seat frame and other
components may be formed from aluminum, or any other suitable metal or
alloy which will trigger other ways for making seams between tubes and
sheet metal components.

[0034] For purposes of this disclosure, the term "coupled" means the
joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or
indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or
movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components
(electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being
integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the
two components or the two components and any additional member being
attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or
alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature.

[0035] It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement
of the elements of the vehicle seat as shown in the preferred and other
exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few
embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in
this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will
readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations
in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various
elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials,
colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel
teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example,
elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts
or elements show as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the
operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the
length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other
elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment
positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted
that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from
any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or
durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures and
combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the present innovations. Other
substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the
design, operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and other
exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present
innovations.